Turning initially to FIGS. 13 and 14, a known relatively simple trigger mechanism 1300 is depicted that may be used in connection with automatic weapons such as pistols and/or rifles (e.g., machine guns). Automatic weapons are weapons that provide continuous fire.
The trigger mechanism 1300 includes a trigger 1302 that is pivotably mounted below a breech block (not shown) adjacent to or in a handle or hand piece 1304. The trigger 1302 includes a transverse pivot axis 1306 adjacent an upper central region 1308 of the trigger 1302 to enable a rear portion (e.g., a rear upper trigger portion) 1310 to travel in a relatively curved path when the trigger 1302 is actuated. The rear portion 1310 of the trigger 1302 engages and/or acts on a first or front end 1312 of a catch or latch 1314. The catch 1314 may be pivotably coupled and/or mounted about a transverse axis 1316 in a weapons housing and/or the handle piece 1304. A second or rear end 1318 of the catch 1314 is a sear arm 1320.
When the trigger 1302 is swiveled or urged into an idle or neutral position by a spring 1322 toward the front of the weapon, the front end 1312 of the catch 1314 swivels or moves downward and the rear end 1318 of the catch 1314 moves upward along with the sear arm 1320. The catch 1314 may be biased by the spring 1322. As shown in FIG. 13, when the rear end 1318 of the catch 1314 having the sear arm 1320 is positioned in the upward position, the sear arm 1320 is positioned in a locking or blocking position. The trigger 1302 and the catch 1314 may be cushioned and/or pre-stressed by a different or the same spring(s) such as the spring 1322. The spring 1322 may urge the trigger 1302 to a resting position and may urge the catch 1314 to a catching, locking or blocking position.
If a breech block (not shown) is retracted or pulled back from a front resting position, a surface or bottom surface of the breech engages the sear arm 1320. The interaction between the breech and the sear arm 1320 moves the rear end 1318 of the catch 1314 downward as the breech overruns the sear arm 1320. The breech may include a sear catch (not shown) that is configured to interact with the sear arm 1320. In operation, after the sear catch moves across the sear arm 1320, the sear arm 1320 moves (e.g., snaps) upward to be adjacent to and/or engage the sear catch and secure the breech in the rear position. With the sear arm 1320 adjacent to and/or engaging the sear catch, the weapon is tensioned and ready to fire.
If the trigger 1302 is actuated, the sear arm 1320 is lowered until the sear arm 1320 releases the sear catch and, thus, the breech. Releasing the breech causes the weapon to begin firing (e.g., continuously firing). By releasing the trigger 1302, the sear arm 1320 moves upward to the locking or blocking position and enables the sear arm 1320 to engage and retain the breech in a rear position (e.g., the weapon is tensioned and ready to fire). The continuous firing is terminated (e.g., stopped) when the trigger 1302 is released and the breech is retained in the rear position.
In some instances, the safety device is a trigger safety that substantially prevents unintentional activation of the trigger. However, because of acceleration forces, these trigger safeties may not prevent the sear arm 1320 from yielding (e.g., moving out of the locking position) if a loaded, pretensioned machine gun having its trigger safety engaged falls off of a truck, for example.
A safety device 1324 may interact with a safety finger 1326 to fix or secure the catch 1314 and the safety finger 1326 in the locking position (e.g., the blocking position). However, securing the catch 1314 in the locking position, via the safety device 1324, may prevent the breech from retracting over and/or beyond the catch 1314. Additionally or alternatively, because in the locking position the catch 1314 is unable to yield when the safety device 1324 is engaged, the breech may become jammed on the catch 1314 as the breech retracts.
FIG. 13 depicts a surface or peripheral surface 1328 sheltering, engaging and/or interacting with the safety finger 1326 of the catch 1314. A weapon having the safety device 1324 cannot be cocked and/or have the cylinder of the safety device 1324 rotated when the safety device 1324 is secured, for example.
Weapons stations are increasingly including fully automated weapons having trigger mechanisms such as the trigger mechanism 1300, for example. The weapons mounted on gun carriages of the weapons stations may be adjusted via actuators (e.g., electromagnetically controllable actuators). The actuators may interact with and/or act on the trigger 1302 and/or a securing device (e.g., the safety device 1324). To substantially ensure the weapons stations operate in a secure and/or safe manner, if a malfunction occurs (e.g., a power failure), activation of the trigger 1302 is interrupted and/or stopped (e.g., the actuator stops impacting the trigger 1302) and the securing device (e.g., the safety device 1324) is set on safety (e.g., the actuator moves the safety device 1324 into the safety position) regardless of the state of the weapon.
If the catch 1314 is secured in the locking position, the breech may be prevented from retracting and/or the cylinder may not be rotated. Additionally or alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14, high forces of the actuator used to move the safety device 1324 to the safety position may engage and jam (e.g., retain) the safety finger 1326. This engagement between the safety device 1324 and the safety finger 1326 may prevent the sear arm 1320 from moving upward to engage the sear catch and retain the breech in the rear position. If the breech is unretained, the weapon will continuously fire even if activation of the trigger is interrupted (e.g., stopped).
For example, with the trigger activated and the breech moving toward the front of the weapon, a power failure (e.g., a malfunction) may simultaneously initiate the release of the trigger and the respective actuator to move the safety device 1324 to the safety and/or securing position. When the catch 3114 is positioned in the releasing position, the safety finger 1326 is positioned in a safety recess 1402 (FIG. 14) of the safety device 1324 and substantially blocks or prevents the safety device 1324 from moving into the safety position. After a malfunction, as the safety device 1324 moves toward the safety position, a surface of the safety recess 1402 may engage and hold the safety finger 1326 in the unlocked position against the biasing force of the spring 1322. The engagement of the safety finger 1326 by the safety recess 1402 may prevent the sear arm 1320 from moving to the locking and/or blocking position. The sear arm 1320 does not retain the breech when in the unlocked position and, thus, the breech moves back and forth firing the weapon until the ammunition supply is exhausted (e.g., interrupted).
DE 101 63 003 A1 and US 2004/0194615 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,813 B2 describe trigger devices including sear arms that are pivotable on a catch. As the breech moves toward the rear of the weapon, the sear arm is swiveled against the force of a spring from a blocking position to an unblocking position (e.g., swerving position). In the unblocking position, the breech is able to overrun and/or travel over the sear arm. As the breech then moves toward the front of the weapon, the spring urges the sear arm upward into the sear catch and is there retained and/or held in the blocking position by the breech block. The sear arm includes a securing or safety element that cooperates and/or interacts with a securing device (e.g., the safety device 1324 or safety roller) to enable the securing device to be moved to the secured or safety position regardless of the position of the breech block or the position of the catch. The securing device can act on and/or affect both the trigger and the catch.
The trigger device includes an additional spring element to ensure the locking function. To retain the breech, the sear arm and a swivel suspension or pivotal coupling of the sear arm must absorb and/or accept the full force of the forward traveling (e.g., advancing) breech block. The sear arm and the corresponding swivel suspension may be relatively small and may be exposed to relatively high dynamic forces. If the sear arm, the swivel suspension and/or the spring element malfunction or fracture, the weapon may continue to fire until the ammunition runs out independent of the position of the safety mechanism and the trigger. The spring force of the spring element affecting the catch must be precisely adjusted to ensure that the breech block overrunning and/or traveling over the sear arm does not also press the catch downward into the handle piece. If the spring force is not precisely adjusted, the securing element with the safety roller may be impaired and/or damaged.